By Tara Lohan, AlterNet. Posted August 9, 2007.

A new organization is leading the fight to stop Bush from trampling on our Constitution and our rights. Find out how to join them.

At no time in our country's history has the abuse of power by the executive branch been more flagrant and more dangerous to democracy.

In just the past month, the Bush administration has ordered employees to ignore congressional subpoenas, asserted broad new parameters for executive privilege and issued an executive order that could permit seizing assets of Americans deemed at its discretion to be hurting the war effort in Iraq. Meanwhile, the administration continues to spy on its own citizens, including widespread data mining of telephone records and emails.

Since taking office, Bush has pushed his authority past the bounds of the Constitution, and now a new group is ready to push back.

The American Freedom Campaign has stepped up to the plate and is working to build bipartisan grassroots support "to reverse the abuse of executive power and restore our system of checks and balances."

The group was spearheaded by Wes Boyd, the founder of MoveOn.org; David Fenton, the executive director of Fenton Communications; William Haseltine, a scientist and social entrepreneur; and Naomi Wolf, author of The End of America: A Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot.

They've been joined in their efforts by the Center for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch, MoveOn.org: Democracy in Action, and other partner organizations.

"The Bush administration's 'war on terror' is not making Americans safer. It's making Americans less safe," said Carroll Bogert, associate director of Human Rights Watch. "What's more, these policies are a gift to dictators everywhere. They significantly undermine America's moral credibility, which should be the cornerstone of any effort to combat terrorism."

The American Freedom Campaign is designed to be an online hub for Americans concerned about the country's democratic system and who are ready to act to protect the Constitution.

The campaign is asking all Americans to take the American Freedom Pledge to "fight to protect and defend the Constitution." The pledge begins, "We are Americans, and in our America we do not torture, we do not imprison people without charge or legal remedy, we do not tap people's phones and emails without a court order, and above all we do not give any president unchecked power."

The campaign is also asking all presidential candidates to take the pledge as well. "This campaign responds to the unconstitutional behavior of the current administration," said Wolf. "Therefore, our first order of business is to get commitments from those running to be the next occupant of the White House. The American people need to know that executive power will not be similarly abused in the future."

Past administrations have led America through much scarier times without taking away personal freedoms, Boyd said. "This is not about a trade-off," he added. "It's about principle. All political parties know they have nothing to gain by having a monarchist president."

The campaign expects to build a grassroots base of hundreds of thousands of Americans who will make their voices heard when issues of excessive executive power arise.

"If there was ever a time for a true grassroots movement in America, it is now," said Boyd. "With our leaders in Washington failing in their constitutional roles, the people need to band together to defend the democracy established on their behalf over 200 years ago. Through the online component of this campaign, hundreds of thousands of Americans will fight to protect our freedoms and our liberties."

Steve Fox, a spokesman for the campaign echoed why he thought their work was so important and the involvement of the public so necessary at this time. "This is not just about civil liberties in general but really specifically focuses on restoring the system of checks and balances," he said. "We were losing the system that made America great."

The American Freedom Campaign endeavors to preserve the vision of the nation's founders -- that no president shall be above the law. In doing so, AFC seeks to protect Americans' constitutionally guaranteed liberties and ensure that this nation demonstrates respect for human rights.

"For the last six years, we have been taking the Bush administration to court to hold them accountable for the many ways they have broken the law," said Vincent Warren, executive director of the Center for Constitutional Rights.

"In case after case, they have tried to hide behind 'state secrets,' create loopholes to make themselves immune from prosecution, and treat the prohibitions on torture and coercive interrogation the way a particularly creative tax lawyer might treat the tax code. The American Freedom Pledge is an opportunity for everyone to stand up and say we have had enough of an executive branch that thinks it is above the law."

To put America back in the hands of the people, the AFC has outlined 10 clear goals:

• Fully restore the right to challenge the legality of one's detention, or habeas corpus, and the right of detained suspects to be charged and brought to trial.
• Prohibit torture and all cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
• Prohibit the use of secret evidence.
• Prohibit the detention of anyone, including U.S. citizens, as an "enemy combatant" outside the battlefield, and on the president's say-so alone.
• Prohibit the government from secretly breaking and entering our homes, tapping our phones or email, or seizing our computers without a court order, on the president's say-so alone.
• Prohibit the president from "disappearing" anyone and holding them in secret detention.
• Prohibit the executive from claiming "state secrets" to deny justice to victims of government misdeeds, and from claiming "executive privilege" to obstruct congressional oversight and an open government.
• Prohibit the abuse of signing statements, where the president seeks to disregard duly enacted provision of bills.
• Use the federal courts, or courts-martial, to charge and prosecute terrorism suspects, and close Guantanamo down.
• Reaffirm that the Espionage Act does not prohibit journalists from reporting on classified national security matters without fear of prosecution.

More than 130,000 people have already signed the theAmerican Freedom Pledge. You can join the campaign here.

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The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. United State Constitution, Art. I Sec. 9 Par. 2

"Dissent is the Highest form of Patriotism" -- Howard Zinn

I read the very first sentence and realized that it was useless to read any further:

"At no time in our country's history has the abuse of power by the executive branch been more flagrant and more dangerous to democracy."

If the author truly believes this, then she has fallen victim to our government monopolized school system. The woman is completely devoid of a knowledge of FACTUAL history.

Staying on topic, if we really want to save/restore our constitution, then we need to elect presidents who will appoint constitutionalist judges to the federal bench ... including the Supreme Court. So far, George W. Bush has done an excellent job of it in my estimation.

Vi

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Liberals are people that will believe anything twice.

Then your the only one who thinks Bush has done an excellent job except maybe 420worshiper and wavels. Bush has even abused his power more than Nixon ever thought of doing. And No he hasn't put in constitutionalist judges to the supreme court, he has stacked the supreme court more lopsided than it has been in decades. Before Bush started appointing judges the supreme court was balanced. 4 Liberals, 4 conservatives and one swing vote.
Now the supreme court is lopsided to the right.
So if you think Bush has done a fine job of fucking up this country got the next 30 years then you would be correct in your assumption.
Try again....

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The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. United State Constitution, Art. I Sec. 9 Par. 2

"Dissent is the Highest form of Patriotism" -- Howard Zinn

Part of the issue is that every single president who has ever been in office has been called "the worst president of all time" by someone. What happens is that the angry voice of America gets ignored; it's all just put up to political discontents. I agree with the author that Bush is abusing his power and is deciding for us that his war in the middle east is worth bankrupting our country and violating our personal liberties.
George W. is doing what every president has done so far, he is issuing the strategy that he and his cabinet decide is the best course of action. However, much of what George has done that most other presidents have not is violated the very essence of our Consitutional liberties. he has signed numerous bills limiting our freedoms in a way that we have not seen since Wilson made it legal for the post office to open mail with German last names on it during his big war, or Roosevelt throwing Japanese American citizens into camps. I'm not ready to say that Bush is on par with these actions, but it seems pretty close to me.
I think that many people who wave their 'impeach now' signs are misguided. You are not going to make soild social change by wearing a ty-dyed shirt and Pachouli oil...let me be clear that I am generalizing and not pointing a finger at Dank or the AFC here...people-the ones who actually vote and have a voice DO NOT listen to hippy liberal crap about right and wrong. Your sit ins and drum circles for peace might get you laid, but you will not be taken seriously.
Secondly, where I agree that our president is breaking the law much moreso than those troublesome kids with their Refer addictions, I do not think that a total flip of the system to a liberal front would be anything but disastrous at this point in time. Stating that 'Bush is bad' all too often becomes the rally flag that people get behind, without realizing getting rid of him is only the first step...there needs to be a thought out, broad plan. You restore our liberties, and terrorists can move more easily. It's just that simple. Do you think most Americans today are willing to risk losing their lives or their family just so the constitution can remain intact? I personally don't think so.
Now, I am a laid back Cali stoner who believes in accepting diversity and paying attention to our environment. However, I would never vote for someone with a stringent agenda, whether that agenda is getting all the godless muslims baptised, or saving all the trees and bunnies from commercial development.
I share the opinion that we have a bad president that is causing serious damage to the infastructure of the Nation. I don't, however, agree that flipping everything on it's ear in the middle of a war is wise. The Patriot act, and other policies of this administration, no matter how you spin it, are unconstitutional. I wish the AFC the best of luck, but I just think in order to restore checks and balances, it will take a light touch, as well as a move to more personal responsibility. George W gets away with what he does because most Americans want to be safe and have gas in their cars. If the AFC can issue a strategy on Homeland Security that sounds viable, well, then, maybe they will get my support. Till then I'm staying on the fence.

The Problem with staying on the fence is that you get stabbed in the balls by one of the boards.

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The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. United State Constitution, Art. I Sec. 9 Par. 2

"Dissent is the Highest form of Patriotism" -- Howard Zinn

Uncle Sunny, so glad to see you are commited to, What? Fence sitting, or staying stoned. Hey, pick a position and tough it out. How can I yell at you if you have no position. Without a position on a political site, you might as well stay home. Of course if you truly have no position then read all the posts and make a decision. I leave the cut and paste to those with more interest than I, then make comments regarding them. Every once in a while I'll throw out a paster, but generally, I just comment on them, so welcome and get involved.

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.

Well uncle Sunny your post brings a quote to mind "Those who are willing to sacrifice liberty for safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety", so I dont think you are remaining neutral since your neutrality costing me my freedoms...

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any images or information presented by krime 13 are fictional, and should not be taken seriously, if the person reading them is employed by a law enforcing agency, they are not authorized to read or use them in any way.

I was not abdicating fence sitting, people. perhaps I should explain. I meant stay on the fence when it comes to a decision on this AFC issue. Too many people just want to bash Bush without a real plan...What I meant to say was that I'll do some more research than this lady's article...
And that I have to be liberal or conservative...pick one...no thanks. The truth is that I am a liberatarian who does a lot for the causes I believe in. I believe that a compromise is the only solution. and that the picture is too big to blame it all on one incompetent man.
I'm sorry if you all misunderstood, I believe in action, but with caution. Just because someone claims to be a liberal and on the side of Freedom, it doesn't mean that they are. And the only fence I was talking about was concerning this AFC.
Thank you, come again.

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"Only the unsophisticated continue to believe that cannabis leads to violence and crime. Indeed, instead of inciting criminal behavior, cannabis may tend to suppress it."-Substance Abuse, a Comprehensive Textbook,
Edited by Joyce Lowinson and Published by Lippincott Williams and Wilkins

The judges on the U.S. Supreme Court are not there to win a popularity contest. They are not there to promote a political agenda either. If you think we should have a political litmus test for federal judgeships, Dank, then you are missing the entire point of the duties of the U.S. Supreme Court. They are there to rule on the constitutionality of laws passed by the Legislature and the Executive branches. In other words, they are part of the checks and balances. That's it. Well, that's it, unless you can find a clause in the Constitution that says anything about liberal and conservative balances among the judges on the U.S. Supreme Court. Start digging, Dank ... it will be awhile before you find such a clause. ~lol~

Vi

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Liberals are people that will believe anything twice.

Bush intentionally stacked the supreme court, this is a fact. the court is lop sided when before it was balanced. if there is no balance to the supreme court either side (conservative or liberal) can and will take away constitutional rights.

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The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. United State Constitution, Art. I Sec. 9 Par. 2

"Dissent is the Highest form of Patriotism" -- Howard Zinn